Three-way valve



June 20, 1944.

p. w. HOPKINS THREE-WAY VALVE Filed July 6, 1942 30 INVENTOR: fiauzdw'lakm ATTORNEY 2 sheets-Sheet l Patented June 20, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE L I I 2,351,613

l THREE-WAY VALVE DavidW. Hopkins, Philadelphia, Pa. Application July 6,1942, Serial No. 449,935 (Cl. 251-14) 3 Claims.

; This invention relates to three-way valves.

In the past most valves of this category were of the rotary plug typerequiring very accurate machining both of the'plugs and the seats fortight sealing, they wore rapidly and developed leaks, they developeddangerous cavitation effects within the valve resulting in rapid erosionand leakage, they were expensive to manufacture and in most cases wereincapable of balanced mounting so that the differential pressuresincident on theplug exerted binding pressures transversely thereof, tomilitate against ease of operation. i

It is among the objects of this invention; to simplify the constructionofvalves; to provide a three-way valve controlled by a butterfly vane;to provide a three-way valve of simplicity and ease of construction; toprovide a three-way valve which is leakproof even under prolonged use;to

provide a'valve obviating the defects of the prior art; to provide avalve having three ports adjustable to alternately coupled pairedrelationship by means of a' butterfly vane; to provide a three-way valvethe flow passages of which are free and clear of abrupt turns andconstrictions; to provide a three-way valve in which internal frictionlosses are minimized; to provide a threeway valve with a movable controlvane which is substantially balanced for easy manipulation substantiallyregardless of the pressures incident upon the vane; to'provide an ovalvane in a generally cylindrical valve housing the edges of which are somachined and shaped as to be tight in each sealed position of the vane;to provide a varied three-way valve which is substantially I leakproofabout the pivot of the vane. Many other objects and advantages willbecome more apparent as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig, 1 represents a top plan of the valve according to a preferredembodiment.

Fig; 2 represents a fragmentary section through the axis 'of the vane,showing the leak-proof bushing and boss arrangement of vane andvalvehousing.

Fig. 3 represents a section through the vane and housing transverse ofthe vane, showing a possible fluid flow by arrows on one side of thevane.

Figs. 4 and 5 represent respectively a side elevation and a top plan ofthe preferred form of vane.

In the simplest essence, the invention is preferably embodied in a valvehousing having a main fluid entrance port perpendicular to the axis ofthe housing, with oppositely directed exit apertures in the housing atopposite ends thereof concentric with said axis and symmetrically spacedrelative to the entrance port, with a double edged butterfly vane ofoval contour internal seating surface I l terminating at one end in thepreferably, but clearly not essentially,

flanged exit l2, and at the other in the similarly finished exit l3. Theinternal bore or seating portion I I of the body may be machine finishedor bored for smoothness of the surface to facilitate the seating of thebutterfly vane, to be described, as well as to reduce frictional lossesin the passages. An entrance port I4 is defined by a short cylindricalsleeve extension portion 2! of the body l0, the axis of which is normalto the axis of the cylindrical body I0, and preferably is ofsubstantially the same diameter as bore ll. Obviously, the termsentrance and exit as used above are arbitrary terms and not limitative,as the functional entrance may be either of the exit openings and theentrance port may be a functional exit, all depending upon the purposeand operative associations of the valve, with the feed,- er and exit orexhaust lines.

A compound vane l 5, having generally smooth side walls, and beingslightly oval in transverse profile, has the carefully ground ormachined inclined sealing surfaces respectively [8 and I1,- around theouter periphery l3, extending between the terminal planar surfaces 25and 26 of the axially apertured boss 28. The vane is pivoted by a shaftor shafts l9 anchored in the aperture 29 of the boss 20. The exposedends 25 and 26 of boss 20, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 5 are machinedand polished in a plane normal to the axis of the vane, merginggenerally tangentially into the periphery l8, as the only breaks in thecontinuity of the periphery which otherwise is provided throughout withthe suitably inclined sealing surfaces described.

The short axial sleeve extension portion 2! defining entrance port I4 isinwardly prolonged to meet the transverse surface ll of the body H] inthe internal rounded corner 22. It will be clear, as shown in Fig. 3,that with the vane E5 in the position shown, the fluid entering port [4through conduit 2|, will be caused to flow through a slightlyconstricted path and will be slightly accelerated thereby in passingbetween the rounded comer 22 and the surface of the vane l5 and boss ifthis is continuous across the vane as shown, as obviously, only shortdiametrically spaced bosses are necessary. As this is the onlyconstriction in the valve however, and as most of the energy isreconverted as the passage enlarges beyond the vane, the friction lossesare smalLandthe efficiency of the valve is high.

In order to afford enough material of the vane for the angularlydivergent sealing surfaces thereof, the vane must be appreciably heavierthan usually is the case with a butterfly valve for the conventionalopen and shut two-way variety.

It is of further importance that the vane be mounted in a sealed orleak-proof disposition; in the valve housing, and to this end the valvecasing 13 is provided both at the top and at the bottom as well; withdiametricail apertures;

within each of which a bushing 24= having the normal planeend 21isprovi'ded, with the face 2-? forming a chord of: the-periphery of thecylindrical; surface H, in a plane normal: to the axis of the cylinder11,. while forming a slight step or shoulder transversely thereto,Thevane boss 20 is aligned with each of the bushings sothat the uppersurface 25 and lower surface 26 thereof each have a tight bearingsealing engagement with the juxtaposed bushing in all adjustedpositions-of: the valve vane. The. peripheral edge it engages an ovalpath in the cylinder ll in the two' adjustedpositions of the=vane,between the seat-mergent bushings,

The shaft It may extend through the vane and beyondit to adegree-adequate to permitit to seat in the lower bushing, but at theupper end it is prolonged to a'length sufficient to enable dissipationof heat to which it may be subjectedfrom the conditions of use or of thefluid passing through the valve. Thus, at the upper endv the shaft|9:isrotatable: in the bushing; 24; and the latter has a flange 30overhanging the barrel or body Hladjacent to'the aperture 23. The flange3% may have a more or less. short axial flange portion. 3|v spaced. fromthe shaftv [9 in position to be engaged and. held down. by the finnedhousing 32. The latter is axially. bored as at 33 so asto-permitrotation of the-shaft 19; has the downwardly. presentingenlarged recess 33 including the shoulder 34. engaging the flange 3t,and has the laterally extending anchoring flange 35 provided with castbosses 36. so that suitable tie down. bolts or. screws 39 may passthrough. theflange 35 into barrel on body intodraw the housing againstsealing compound or packing 31. The barrel of the housin 32 has aseriesofcooling fins 38 to dissipate heat. The

barrelof the housing toward the upper end is.

formed. as a stufling. box with a packing receiving recess 40. in whichpacking 4| is compressed,

by. a gland 42 pulled toward the packing by suitablebolts- 41 engagingthe terminal flanges 43- on the housing-3,2, and 4.4 on the gland 42,asis conventional.

Shaft l9 projects beyond the end of the gland and preferably carries aworm wheel or the like in mesh with a worm gear 45, and the latter isactuatable by a power apparatus such as hydraulic or electric power, orby the hand wheel 4'! driving shaft 48.

It will be clear that the degree of movement necessary to change thevane from one sealed position to the other is very small indeed,especially in contrastto conventional plug devices, and that thepressures will be effective on the entire face of the vane so thatsubstantial balance on each side of the bOSs 20 will be secured tofacilitate vane manipulation, and the flow through the three-way valvewill be subject to aminimal drag. and frictional losses.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Ina three way valve a butterfly vane com prising a vane body havingan oval profile and having a long and a short axis, said body having apair of diametrically extending apertured boss portions concentric'withtheshort axis, the. boss portions having plane ends normal to theaxisthereof, and the periphery between boss planeportions being formedof intersecting angularly inclinedtsealing surfaces.

2. In a three way valve, a. body having a' cylindrical valve seat, apair of aligned apertures ex? tending diametricallyof the cylindricalvalve seat, a pair of bushings having plane end'sand mounted intherespe'cti-ve'apertures so that their plane'ends form a chord ofthecylindrical-valve seat, a vane disposed in the cylindrical valveseatand having a pair ofv aligned diametrically opposed boss ends with planefaces juxtaposedv tothe ends of the bushings, and means for. pivotallysupporting andactuating thevane through a bushing said vane havingangularly divergentmachined surfaces extending peripherally from andbetween the plane faces arranged to seat sealingly againstthe-cylindrical valve seat in two different angular vane dispositionssubstantially posed boss ends with plane faces. juxtaposed tothe endsof. the bushings, said vane having angularly divergent machinedsurfaces. extending peripherally from. and between the plane facesarranged to seat sealingly against the cylindrical valve seat in twodifferent angular vane dispositions substantially without leakageadjacent the pivot of the vane, said body having also a: lateralapertured extension substantially perpendicular to and symmetrical of.the vane pivot arranged to be placed selectively in communication. withone or the other of the said aligned apertures according. to theselected. angular vane. disposition in the cylindrical body.

DAVID W. HOPKINS.

